Casing head



uy 26, E927. Y v A. L. SEGELHQRST CAS ING HEAD Filed June 12, 1925 4 sheets-Sheet 1 July 26, i927. L63755 A. L. SEGELHORST CASING HEAD Filed June 12, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .uy 26,1927. l,637,055

A, L. SEGELHORST CASING HEAD Filed June l2, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l inne/wxs Juy 26, i927. 1,637,055

A. L. sEGELHoRsT CASING HEAD Filed June l2, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [Wi/'yf il F@ i5:

Z3 77 70 W 77 7g 72 72 VZ f7/ K 7/ 7/ v1/Epl 7202. uasr Egli/m257- f5 TTOBNBYS Patented July 26, 1927.

UNH-'ED STTES 1,637,055 PATENT. ori-uca.

AUGUST L. SEGELHOBST, OF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

CASING HEAD.

Application led June 12, 1923. 8er-'iai No. 644,868.

This invention yrelates to well drilling equipment and relates particularly to casing heads such as are employed during the drilling of a well. i'

In the drilling of oil. wells, the drill bit frequently strikes pockets of oil under'high gas pressure, While penetrating the subterranean strata. It is an infrequent occurrence to strike a gas pocket which blows the entire drill pipe from the well, causingconsiderable damage, expense, loss of time, and sometimes the loss of life. Considering that the well has been carried successfully to astratum adjacent to the oil bearingl sand, the drill bit upon penetrating this sand will allow oil, if there is sufficient pressure therein, to How upwardly through the well. Although there are generally indications of the reaching of the oil bearing sand, it sometimes occurs that the presence of'oil -is not known until the oil flows from the top of the well. It will be readily realized that the oil flowing from the well, and especially if it is under pressure, makes it ver inconvenient for the workman to pull the. rill shaft, and in addition there is a considerable waste of oil. 1. Y

It is an object of the invention to provide a casin head which will grip and prevent the dril pipe from 4being-.blown from the well.

It is a further objectof the invention to rovide in a device of this character a means by which the gas may be conducted from the well.

It is ai still further lobject of the invention to provide a casing head of this character which will seal the top of the well, prevent- .ing the oil from' flowing over the derrick floor, and means for conducting the oil from the Well throu h piping.

The casing head of my invention consists of a body which is screwed to the top end of the well casing. The body has a concentric bore in which is placed a sleeve member which is engaged by means for advancing the sleeve in an axial direction. Below the sleeve is-a compressible member which rests in a conical formation included in the bore of the body member, being connected to the sleeve by means vof lugs provided on the sleeve. This compressive member is made in segments which are provided wlth resilient innerfaces. .During ordina conditions the compressive member is retained by the sleeve in expanded position, but when a gas pressure or oil is encountered in the well the sleeve is advanced `downwardly in the body by the advancing means. The advancing or the sleeve moves, the compressive member fromv expanded position in the larger diameter of the conical formation into compressed position in the smaller diameter of conical portion. When the compressive member is in this compressed position the resilient faces of. the segments are forced tightly around the drill pipe completelyencircling it, the adjacent edges thereof being` forced together forming a gas and oil tight sealtherebetween. The gas or oil may be carried from the casing head through a pipe 4connectedthereto just below the conical portion of the bore in the body. Y

The especial advantages of the invention and further objects thereof Will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which. are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. -1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the utility of my invention. y

Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view through a device which embodies the features of my invention, the compressible member being shown in non-engaging position."

Fig. 3 is a section taken on a plane represented by the'. line 3-3 of Fi 2.

Fi 4 is a view similar to Fgig. 2, but showing t e compressible member being shown in Vengaging position.

Flg. 5 's a section taken on a plane represented by the line 5--5 0f Fig. 4. y

Fig. 6 is a section takenon a plane r'ep-A resented by the line 6-6 ofFig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of one of the segments, illustrating more implicitly the construction thereof.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of anotherform of my invention which may be used when the drill pipe smaller than the well casing.

Fig. 9 is a section taken. on a plane represented by the line `9--9-01. Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, the compressive member being shown therein in compressed position.

VFig. 11 is a vertical sectional view illustrati-nga further modification of m invention. The compressible member, in t is view, is shown in expanded position.

Fig. 12 is a section taken on a plane rep- "resented by the line 12-12 ofFlg. 11.

Fig. 13 1s a sectional View similar to Fig.

is considerably 11, the compressible member being shown in compressed position in this view.

Fig. 14 is a section taken on a plane designated by the line 14-14 of Fig. 13.

As shown in Fig. 1 a well casing 11 has a casing head 12 of my invention screwed to the top end thereof through which a shaft 14 extends, the shaft 14 being composed of lengths of drill pipe. The shaft 14 is rotated by a rotary `table 15 located in derrick 16.-

With reference to Figures 2 to 7 inclusive, the casing head 12 consistsof a body 20 which has a threaded ortion 21 for connecting `it'to the drill pipe and has an axial bore 22 extended therein. In the upper part oit the bore 22 is placed a sleeve 23 which is adapted to be moved axially in the bore 22. The sleeve 23 has engageable means such as teeth 24 externally formed thereon which are engaged b a rotatable ring 25 which is retained in t ie enlarged portion 26 .of the bore 22 by a retaining member 28. TheI ring 25 may be rotated in either direction byl a worm 29 in the housing 30 which worm may be turned by a crank which maybe placed on the squared portion 31 of the shaft 32 upon which the worm 29 is mounted. Projecting downwardly from the sleeve 23 are lugs 33 which extend through slots 34 in the annular ledge 35, the lower ends of which engage the compressible member 37 in the downwardly diminishing conical portion 39. The member 37 is composed'o segments 4() which have resilient inner faces 41 whichmay be made ont rubber or any other suitable compressible material, the faces 41 being of the same curvature as the external diameter of the drill shaft which they are adapted to grip.

Any suitable engagement means may be used between theV compressible member 37 and the lugs 33, which will allow relational lateral movement therebetween such, as shown in Fig. 7. Projecting upward #from each of the segments 40 is a pin 43 having a ball formation 44 at the upper end thereofA which tits loosely in a corresponding radial slot 46 formed in the lower end of each of the lugs 33, this engagement being so formed that the lower tace et the lug 33 will bear directly against the upper tace of the seg ment 40 when the sleeve is made to advance downwardly, the pin 43 serving only to raise the segments 40. The com ressive member 37 is provided with an annu ar spring mernber 43 which extends through each ot the segments 40 holding them outwardly at all times a ainst the face of the conical ortion. 39 so t at they will not interfere with the drill shaft.

During normal drilling conditions the dif= ferent parts of the casing-head 12 are positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It oil or gas is encountered in the well, the movable parts may be moved to the positions showt in Figs. 4 and 5, l by the operation which will now be described. By rotating the worm 29 with a suitable crank placedon the squared portion 31 of the shaft 32, the ring 25 may be rotated which in turn advances the sleeve 23 downwardly in bore 22. The lower face of each lug 33 will be forced against the top face of each of the segments 40 ofthe member 37, forcing them downwardly in the conical portion 39. As the compressive member 37 reaches the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 it becomes forcibly wedged between the wall of the conical portion 39 and the outside surface of the drill pipe, completely encircling the lpipe. rllhe inner face 41 being of the same circumferential contour will adhere very accurately to the external circumference of the drill shaft and the face 41 also being of a resilient na` ture will have a tendency to spread due to the compressive force applied thereto and will constitute a gas or oil tight seal between the diierent segments 40 as well as around thevcircumferenee of the shaft. The oil or gas in the well` may then be carried therefrom through pipes which may be screwed in the tapped holes 50 -provided in the body 20, as shown.

The upper portion of the sleeve 23 may be formed of upwardly expanding conical contour, as indicated at 55, to accommodate thc placing of freely accessible slips '(notshown) which are used to hold the drill shaft while adding additional lengths of drill pipe to the shaft or while removing lengths therefrom.

Sometimes in drilling a well a drill pipe which is considerably smaller than the well casing is used. .With these circumstances, a casing head as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and. 10

may be used the parts in these iigures being v substantially the same as those in the pre vious igures.

ln these figures the drill pipe indicated by the dotted lines is considerably smaller.

than the well casing and the annular. ledge 35 is made wider than that shown in the previous figures so that it presents a bore 61 which is but slightl larger than the drill pipe 60. ln the le ge 35 are'cut slots G2 which are disposed diametrically, providing a distance as indicated by A which distance is substantially the same as the diameter of the well casing. The compressible member 37 is made in four segments 40 so that when it is in expanded position the segments 40 will leave spaces therebetween two of which will coincide withv the slots as best shown in Fig. 9. By this arrangement it is possible to provide a head' which will grip a drill pipe of a much smaller diameter than that'of the other head. Also by the provision of the slots 62 and :the segmental arrangement shown, an opening for passing a bit into the well is provided, the bit very between the segments40 without interfer-` ence.

In Figs. 11, 12. 13 and 14, is illustrated a further form of the invention. In this modiiication, I present adevice which will accomplish the same result as before but the cost thereof is reduced considerably by simplifying the construction thereof.

In these figures the body 70 provides threads 71 at the lower end for attachment to the well casing, threaded orifices 72 through which oil or gas may be conducted and a bore 7 3 which provides an angular face 7a between the smaller portion and the larger portion thereof,` as shown. A compressible member 76 rests in the larger p0rtion of bore 73 which is similar to the compressible members used in the other forms of the invention. The member 76 has a lower face 77, the angle of which corresponds to and is in contact with the face 74 of the bore 73, and has an upper face 78 which is in contact with a corresponding angular face 79 of the sleeve or gland member S0 positioned thereabove in the large portion of the bore 73. The gland member is in threaded engagement with the bore 73 at 82 and may be advanced in either direction by a bar or wrench placed in the holes 83.

By advancing the member downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 11 to the position shown in Fig. 13, the compressible member 7 6 may be forced from expanded position to compressed position. It will be readily seen that the angular faces 74'and 79 exert a positive inward force on the compressible member 76 when'the gland, 80 is vadvanced downwardly and force it into compressed position, Fig. 13, securely against the drill pipe.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that a great deal of time and labor may be saved by employing my device which will prevent thei gas from blowing the drill shaft from the well, and that the workin condition during the flowing of oil while t 'e shaft is still in the well may be made better by using my device, as heretofore explained.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a packing organization comprising an upwardly-expanding sleeve carrying circumferential threads, the combination of: a body constituting a casing head which is directly engageable by said sleeve and has a downwardly diminishing opening through which a shaft may extend; a compressible member composed of cooperating and resiliently disposed annular slip segments, also downwardly diminishing within said body, and disposed concentrically with respect to said shaft, and arranged to be com ressed' into gripping contact with said sha and means vat the end of sald sleeve for compressoperating members relatively thereto.

ing said member in said downwardl diminishing opening, the lower end of said sleeve being provided with means causing an inward slippage of said compressible member relatively thereto during compression.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a body adapted to placement upon a well casing and constituting a casing head which is directly engageable by a sleeve and hasa downwardly diminishing opening concentric with said casing through which a shaft may extend, said body providing an interior" conical formation; cooperating slip members disposed in said conical formation; annular means for holding said slip members resiliently inA open arrangement when said slip members are disposed at the large end of said conical formation; and means, comprising said sleeve, for moving said slip members downwardly toward the small end `of said formation, so that they will`be constricted around-'said shaft,the lower Aend of said sleeve being provided with means facilitating an inward slippage of saidcooperating members relatively thereto.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of: a body adapted to placement upon a Well casing and constituting a casing head which isI directly engageable by a sleeve and .has a downwardly diminishing opening, concentric with said casing, through which a shaft may extend, said body providing an interior conical formation; cooperating slip members disposed in said conical formation, said slip members being adapted to fully encircle said shaftV l and having' resilient facings arranged for engagement with the face of said shaft; annular means for holding said slip members resiliently in open arrangement when said slip members are disposed at the large end of said conical formation; and means,

comprising said sleeve, for moving said slip members ownwardly toward the small end of said formation, so thatl they will be constricted around said shaft,-the lower end of said sleeve being provided with means facilitating an inward slippage of said co- 4. In a device of the character described, the combination of: a body Vadapted to placement' upon a well casing and constituting a casing head which'` is directly engageable by asleeve and has a downwardly diminishing opening, concentric with said casing, through whicha' shaft may extend, said body providing an interior conical formation; cooperating slip members disposed in said conical formation; annular means for holding said slip membersv resiliently in open arrangement when said slip members -are disposed at the large end of said conical formation; moving means, comprising said sleeve member, .disposed wlthin said opening said sleeve, so as to'advance said slip means downwardlytoward the small end of 'said conical formation, whereupon they will bewedged against Said shaft,--the lower end of said sleeve being provided with means facilitating an inward slippage of said cooperating members relatively thereto` 5. ln a device of the character described, the combination of: a body adapted to placement upon a well casing and constituting a casing head which is directly engageable by a sleeve and has an opening, concentric with said casing; through which a shaft may extend; said body providing an interior conical formation; cooperating slip members disposed in said conical formation; means for holding said slip members resiliently in open arrangement when said slip members are disposed at the large end of said conical formation; a mentioned sleeve member being disposed within said opening and having engagement with said s ip ymembers, said sleeve having screw threads formed upon the exterior thereof; a ring member around said sleeve, said ring member having interior threads engaging said screw threads of said sleeve; and means for rotating said ring member .for the purpose of axially moving said sleeve so as to advance said slip members toward the small end of said conical formation, whereupon they will be wedged against Said shaft,-the lower end of said sleeve being provided with means nee'aosa facilitating an inward slippage of said cooperating members relatively thereto.

6. ln a device of the character described, the combination of: a body adapted to placement upon a well casing and constituting a casing head which is directly engageable by a sleeve yand has an opening concentric with said ,casing through which a shaft may extend, said body providing an interior conical formation; cooperating slip members disposed in sai'd conical formation; means for holding said slip members resiliently in open arrangement when said slip members are disposed at the large end of said conical formation; a mentioned Sleeve member being disposed within said opening and having engagement with said slip members, said sleeve having screw threads formed upon the exterior thereof; a ring member around said sleeve, said ring member having interior threads engaging said screw threads of said sleeve; and means for rotating said sleeve, for the purpose of axially moving said sleeve so as to advance-Said Slip 'members toward the small end of said conical format-ion, whereupon they will be wedged against said shaft,--the lower end of said sleeve being provided with means facilitating an inward slippage of said'cooperative members relatively thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles; California, this 7 th day of June, 1923.

AUGUST L. -snGELHoasr titl 

